Interpretive Summary: Cadence (steps/minute) is related to walking speed, and thus, logically also intensity. The purpose of this analysis of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was to 1) examine the relationship between cadence and accelerometer-defined intensity and 2) describe population patterns of incremental ranges of stepping cadence. We confirmed a clear relationship between cadence and intensity of movement. U.S. adults accumulate 4.8 hours/day of zero cadence during monitored waking time, 30 min/day at cadences of 60-79 steps/min, 14 minutes at 80-99 steps/min, 7 minutes at 100-119 steps/min, and 2 minutes at 120+ steps/min.

Technical Abstract:
Laboratory studies of adult walking behavior have consistently found that a cadence of 100 steps/min is a reasonable threshold for moderate intensity. The purpose of this study was to determine cadence patterns in free-living adults, and in particular, time spent at increasing cadence increments including 100 steps/min and beyond. Three thousand seven hundred forty forty adults = 20 years provided at least one valid day (minimally 10/24 hours of wear) of minute-by-minute accelerometer-determined step data during the 2005-2006 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Means for time spent (min/day) and steps/day were calculated for 8 cadence categories including 0 and each 20-step incremental cadence band beginning with 1-19 through 100-119, and beyond to 120+ steps/min. U.S. adults accumulate 4.8 hours/day of zero cadence during wearing time, 8.7 hours between 1-59 steps/min, 16 min/day at cadences of 60-79 steps/min, 8 minutes at 80-99 steps/min, 5 minutes at 100-119 steps/min, and 2 minutes at 120+ steps/min. Self-selected walking at 100+ steps/minute was a rare phenomenon in this large free-living sample of the U.S. population, but study participants did accumulate 30 min/day at cadences of 60+ steps/min.